(a) It shall be the public policy of this state that newborn infants in certain high-risk categories be evaluated for the detection of hearing impairments in order to prevent many of the consequences of these disorders.

(b) The department shall develop guidelines for evaluation and follow-up procedures for the detection of hearing impairments in infants determined by the department to be in those high-risk categories in which the likelihood of such impairments is greatest and shall develop rules and regulations to ensure that all such high-risk infants are evaluated within one year of their birth. No such evaluation shall be made as to any newborn infant if the parents or legal guardian of the child objects thereto on the grounds that such a test would conflict with their religious tenets or practices.